For my block two education classes we are required to do field experience hours. Today I visited my cooperating teacher's classroom, which is a 7th grade geography class. During this particular class they were reviewing for the quiz that is tomorrow. They are currently studying Africa and for their test they have to answer a few short answer questions about the history, culture and climate. They will also have to identify twenty countries in Africa and locate them on the map.
We played a review game that consisted of playing Wii bowling in class. The kids were so excited. Each group of desks are teams and each person in that team has a specific role such as; captain, accountant, scribe and gopher. Here is how the game worked: There is a huge map of Africa that is on the back wall. The teacher would call on each group individually, he would pick out three countries and they would have to identify correctly one of those countries. If they got it right they would pick some one to bowl for their team. He would go around to each group and do the same. When the round was over then the bowling for points began. How ever many pins they knocked down they got a certain number of points. The students played three rounds of this game. By the end of the period each student was able to identify at least ten countries. They would just have to learn ten more before the test.
I thought that this review game was really fun. It got the kids engaged and active. They wanted to get the answer right and know the answer because they wanted to bowl. The review turned into a great game instead of just going over a map and expecting them to memorize the countries. The students not only memorized more countries than they did before the class but they also got a feeling for exactly how the test was going to be and what they needed to focus on when studying. It was really good for me to see how a teacher incorporated technology into the classroom but how it enhanced the lesson for the students and they really did benefit from it. It was a really fun class.
Wow! This is a very interesting activity which your field experience teacher has incorporated into his classroom. I would have never thought to use Wii Bowling in a classroom (other than PE), but it sounds like it was really a great activity for the students to benefit from. It sounds like the students were really motivated to answer questions right in order to be able to bowl. I would be interested in knowing how else this teacher incorporates technology into his classroom.
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